Ukrainian berry growers expand exports despite war and staff shortage

The Ukrainian berry industry demonstrates resilience even in wartime – despite the loss of some of the area and the increase in logistics costs, exports continue to grow.

This was reported by the “Association “Berry Growing of Ukraine” with reference to an interview with the president Iryna Kukhtina for the Freshplaza publication.

According to her, over the past two years, producers have faced a number of challenges – from the destruction of energy infrastructure to the shortage of workers due to mobilization and migration.

“Despite the war, the Ukrainian berry industry not only survived, but also managed to adapt to new realities,” Kukhtina noted.

One of the most dynamic areas remains the cultivation of blueberries – one of the most profitable crops. New small farmers are actively joining the industry, especially in the Volyn, Lviv and Zakarpattia regions.

At the same time, logistics remains the most difficult problem. Due to border blockades and high transportation costs, exporters are forced to look for new supply routes, often bypassing Poland. This has changed the structure of exports: Poland’s share in Ukrainian raspberry exports has decreased from 58% in 2022 to 33% in 2024, while Germany has increased its share to 28%, and France to 6%.

Due to shelling, producers are distributing frozen product warehouses across different regions or transferring part of their capacities to Poland, the Czech Republic and other neighboring countries. Despite all the difficulties, the area under berries remains stable, and the sector continues to attract investment and develop exports.

Tags: Ukraine, export, barriers